I did okay. Besides the dollarstore trip where I totally forgot about the compact and shopped, I did okay.

My new hobby soap making needed a digital scale, two candy thermometers, safety eye glass and lye. I discovered I already have a candy thermometer. I did ask on freecycle about the digi scale and candy thermometer before buying them. And nobody I know have these to barter or borrow. So, I stuck to my list and got just these. Nothing else. I've signed up for a class on soap making for this month and I'm all excited already.

The humidifier almost died, but DH worked on it and gave it a new life. It also needed another filter so we got that - as it turned out to be a health issue for me. My lips dry, crack and start bleeding when we don't use a humidifier in winter. After two days of bleeding lips, we have the humidifier running now. And I'm so glad we didn't have to buy a new one.

January went not too badly. The only things I bought that were outside of my guidelines were two gifts. One was a birthday gift for a close friend's daughter and the other was a baby gift for another really close friend. I also purchased a couple of my exception items and I would like to avoid that in Feburary. dd3's birthday is on Wednesday and I won't have to buy anything because I stocked up on gifts last year

I did a bit of decluttering but I really hope to do more this month.

I also took the bus to the subway for work almost everyday in January which saved me money and earth emissions.

i got through january fairly pain-free. in fact, i can't really even think of anything i'm itching to buy. i'm sure things will come up, though, so i'm glad to have a supportive and understanding group! i think we are all doing great.

I'm so excited! Sounds silly to most, but I figured y'all might understand....

I finished a baby quilt that I started years ago (#9 on my 52 project challenge) and I was wondering what in the world I was going to do with it now. No babies around here. I love it, but don't need it. I posted pictures of it on my facebook account hoping a dear friend of mine would see it and comment on it (and to share in general). She is pregnant, but we have never talked about quilts before (odd since we have known each other for nearly 30 years!). She saw it and LOVES it! So....now I have a baby shower gift ready for later in the year.

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." - Mother Teresa

I'm joining. I've done the Compact in the past and it was really enlightening. I've found myself slipping back into consumerism and I'm really disgusted with how much decluttering I've had to do recently. I'm joining for a short term commitment of Feb & March so it doesn't seem so overwhelming

I'm really hoping this will break me of the habit of continually being on the prowl for new pretty things to replace things that don't really need to be replaced. I also have a terrible issue with collecting too many craft supplies and I'm going to try to focus on using the items I have rather than buying new. My only exception for craft supplies is that if I *need* an item to finish a project, but NO new craft supplies just for stashing away or future projects.

We do have *one* planned new expense that I'm going to allow for our family - a new desktop computer. Our current one is very outdated and has some serious issues. We've saved up enough money to buy a family computer which will get used with homeschooling. Otherwise I'm not making any exceptions unless it is health related items.

The past year has been a rollercoaster of emotions for our family. One of our children was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder and has spent the past few months on the maximum dose of steroids to suppress his immune system. He's doing okay, but it has been really scary. It has really brought back into focus that less stuff and a more meaningful existence is really what we want for our family.

welcome to the thread, rebecca! i wish i had your craft-stash discipline. i just can't resist some thrifty fabric goodness. today i accidentally bought a package of lawn furniture strapping material for making repairs . . . not that i have any of that kind of lawn furniture, but i was just sure i'd have a crafty use for these colorful straps! at least it was only 49 cents. and, hey, it's vintage! i could always sell it . . .

okay ladies, this is extremely short notice (and i've had a good two or three weeks' notice myself!) BUT i need help with something.

we have a b'day party to go to tomorrow. it's for a little girl turning 5. she's very much a "princess", super into fairies, b'day party theme is the color blue. i have NO IDEA what i'm going to bring for a gift. i can sew, knit, crochet . . . my only really tough limitation on "fairy" stuff right now is that the world is covered in snow. however i do have lots of fabric, notions, yarn, roving, some beads, cool paper, i just need an idea!

i'm not even going to tell you what the birthday present was. i thought it was pretty cool, but the birthday girl actually got a little upset . . . okay, i'll tell you. ds painted a fairy map (on watercolor paper in shades of blues and greens, and her b'day theme was the color blue). i rolled it up and tied it with blue yarn and a blue sequined bird (thrifted). well, she got very upset because she couldn't *read* the map of course, and asked ds what some of the blotches were and he said they were monster footprints, which she really, really didn't like. sigh. that's over, anyway.

what i really came to tell you is this. i am bad. and i'm not even sorry.

i went on etsy to find a vintage toy sewing machine for ds2's birthday. i wasn't happy with what i was finding, and i thought, "oh i bet someone makes a really cool one," which, lemme tell ya, they do. so i bought that. and then i thought, "oh s***."

see, i went to etsy intending to buy used. really, i did. and then i accidentally bought new. handmade, yes, and wood and sweet, but new as well. there is NO WAY i'm cancelling my order and i don't even really feel guilty.

other compact violations: i was on vacation with two nukies. we lost both. i bought a new package. i also (on said vacation) bought a package of tiny hair elastics, because i forgot stitch markers and didn't want to not knit.

I'm doing well with the compact. It is really helping with the specific things I was struggling with. I have cut back how many times I go to the discount store to once a month and that alone has made a HUGE difference! While there, I am thinking a lot more about what we truly need. I put back some amazing deals the last time I was there because we just didn't need those items. I did purchase a few too many snacks, but I didn't know at the time that we wouldn't need any at the camping/retreat. They'll get eaten eventually anyway since I only purchased items at least one person in the family likes and in most cases everyone likes.

DD had a science fair project due today. DH worked with her on the experiment itself and they did buy four tall water bottles for the project. We use SS bottles, so these were necessary. We drank the water, so nothing was wasted. I helped her with the display board and all the materials we used came from our craft supply stash. I was ill at one point in the process and DH said we were out of (printer) paper and he was going to buy some. I was too out of it to care at the time, but I mentioned I had been using other random paper we already had. He surprised me by finding our 8x14 printer paper and cutting it down. We have all agreed to use up the paper we have regardless of what it looks like before purchasing anything else for the printer.

DD's birthday party (slumber party) is this weekend. All we need to buy are food supplies. The favor will be a poster the girls make themselves with supplies we already own. The girls and us adults will take pictures on Saturday and then us adults will print the pictures that night for the girls to use the next morning. I may send them to a local store for one hour processing, though. I'm okay with that.

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." - Mother Teresa

actually, i had a major compact success today. dh has been on my a** for a water filter pitcher. i was like, i'm soooooooooo not buying that. i found one today - at the gw, still in the box!

however, your post reminded me of another thing i really want to buy. i attend a birth fair twice a year, for lll and for ican. one of my lll co-leaders and i created a new display board, and it made me realize how crusty the ican board is. i could take everything off the board and cover it with paper or fabric and reuse it, but i'm so tempted to buy a new one. i've been trying to justify it by saying the ican chapter would be buying the board - not me personally (although, i'm the leader and the one who would do the shopping, lol). but it's foam . . . it's not even recyclable. i should probably reuse it.

oh - another compact triumph? i thrifted the most amazing, most adorable, most-perfect-ever b'day party invitations for ds. normally i would just call/email people, but these are so wonderful that they've inspired his whole b'day party theme.

i'm definitely totally digging this compact business. i just also really needed those nukies, those hair ties, and . . . yes, the toy sewing machine. now that i've confessed, i'm ready to embrace the compact with renewed vigor.

I actually did it! I hosted a party (first slumber party, no less) and I did not buy anything, except food and pictures. The food was streamlined and nothing fancy, either. All in the name of the Compact and it FELT GOOD on ALL counts!!! The party was a BIG HIT with the girls and no one cared about fancy store-bought favors and decorations, etc. We just used what we already owned and had FUN!!!

Several challenges came about in the process and I cannot tell you how many times my resolve to not purchase anything for the party was tested. and New habits take time to foster and I am glad I told myself at the very beginning of our planning that we were doing the whole party with what we already own. It would have been a lot easier to buy things since I was ill most of the week and we hadn't quite gotten the house clean nor the favors ready in any way, shape, or form. I'm so grateful for this Compact and the "back-up" or validity it gave me to do what I already feel is appropriate for kids parties!

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." - Mother Teresa

i let this go when my marriage fell apart over the spring/summer. i decided i needed to just function. i mean, i do try to buy used when possible, but by no means have i been sticking to the compact.

thrifty wins:

winter coat

globe (for my boys for xmas)

typewriter (also for my boys for xmas)

and i've been making a lot too (mostly knitting, some sewing) although that has involved some new purchases

consumery losses:

i ordered my kids a melissa & doug castle for christmas (dang it! i could have gotten away without it, since i found the globe, typewriter, and was given a kitten monday)

i went a little crazy at the gap outlet when they had an additional 50% off the clearance rack (so stuff was around $5). i got two dresses, two skirts, and . . . i wanna say something else too but i can't remember. but i kinda needed it.

oh yeah, and i also bought a bunch of clothes at penney's (where i never shop) because i found three hideous sweatshirts in a bag in our basement, with the tags still on, that stbxh left (which his mother had given him) and i returned them and got $75. in that case, i could have spent the money on stuff that was "allowed" in the compact like socks and undies (which imo includes tights and bras obviously) - and it wouldn't have been a waste, i could easily have spent $75 on that stuff. yet it was way more fun to shop for girly clothes that made me feel pretty. it was kind of necessary, lol.

oh and i also bought a bunch of make up and a few issues of vogue and harper's bazaar. you know. to feel pretty.

Well... I didnt start in on this (i dont think) but I was doing the declutter challenge and the crafty challenge. In with those I'm on a varied income - read as no/low income and dealing with personal crisis. I did student teaching spring term (no pay) etc.

I did fairly well staying out of craft stores and used up a number of skiens of yarn. I didnt order anything from Herrschners.com this year and kept clothing purchases to a minimum. In decluttering I found alot of things we could just use up and make do with. I haven't purchased any candles this year either, yankee candle was a downfall of mine. I've also been working my way through a huge stash of Bath and Body Works products. (I think we have enought hand soap for yet anothe year). I have 20 more bars of Johnsons and Johnsons 'buddies' soap. DS is 10 LOL

Needless to say the compact continues into 2011 !

My goal for 2011 is to continue burning up the candles, using the soaps, and not buying what we dont need!

i also gave up while my marriage fell apart. dd got new presents for christmas that were mostly bought with coupons (lots of art supplies!). all of the adults got used stuff (used books bought at the library sale or that i already had), except for a computer mouse bought on clearance for my brother. i'm decluttering our stuff right now and trying to organize it for a tiny space. i'll join for 2011 too!

well! i've gotta say . . . while my boys *like* the castle and dragons i bought (new) for them for christmas, the much bigger hits were the kitten and the thrifted typewriter and thrifted globe. so i coulda kept it compacty after all.

:)

eta: their other favorites (possibly their very favorites) were imaginext sets my mom got for them at a rummage sale last summer. lol . . . i should make the most of the easiness of this age while i can.

Oh boy. I did great until my birthday (August). Everyone asked me what I wanted and ended up giving me money for my birthday (in advance, even). I guess I had forgotten all about the Compact by then. I went a little crazy ordering jewelry and craft items online. DH gave me (I handed him my computer with my order all ready to go and said, "press send, please"....LOL) writing instruments, which I absolutely LOVE! My craft pens were drying out left and right, so that particular thing met my criteria. However, I could have gotten by with a lot less new pens/markers/etc. My parents both gave me jewelry. None of it was expensive and I was replacing items that were broken or in yellow gold that I wanted in silver. I love everything and wear them all! Yet, again, I could have gotten by with less and would have if I had remembered about the compact....

As a family, we did pretty well. We finally did buy the toaster oven we have been searching for years. I found one that met all my criteria (and DH's) and it was about $30. We would have spent a lot more, if necessary to get what we wanted. I never did find the cabinet I am still looking for in our bedroom, so that will move to 2011's exception list. We did actively look in several places several times during the year.

Christmas wasn't huge, but it wasn't within compact standards, either.

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." - Mother Teresa